it's really over

Yesterday my buddy and long time love, Bob Barker, worked his last day at the Price is Right. I should be really really bummed, perhaps I'm in a state of shock or denial, but all I can feel is happy for him. I've long imagined that the whole hosting thing got old. I've seen it first hand, how a particularly lame audience can really grate on his nerves, always asking about his age and other random stuff they'd already know if they were Loyal Friends and True... I consider how well I know the games and how I flinch when people make poor choices. He must be even more offended by the stupidity of the masses when they make shameful mistakes. I mean, really, people, when playing the Money Game when has it ever not been "El Cheapo"? And can you honestly say it has ever been 90 or 85 dollars? And to those who've played Plinko, where is the sense in dropping your chip to one side or the other? Everyone knows the sweet spot is where the n meets the k. And to those people who have played the Check Game, $2500 is almost always safe. And the Range Game, hello, stop the Range Finder when you're at Bob's eye level, aligned with the green section on the left. And those playing Pathfinder, dude, the path always ends in a corner with either 5 or 0. I've always figured Bob returns to his dressing room after each show, pours a stiff drink, runs his long fingers through his thinning hair and sighs.

All that is easy for me to say, though. Apparently the hard part is bidding your way up on stage, eh? I won't deny that I may be taking some measure of joy in knowing that now I'm not alone in my sad fate. Now no one in the world can play a pricing game with Bob.

Still, it does feel like I'm losing a friend.

Another thing lost today? Erik's shaved off all his long hair. He actually went to a barber a couple days ago to trim the most annoying of his locks. Unfortunately, he came home with bangs. Boys don't have bangs, I mocked him. And so, today, my reward is a pile of two and a half years of hair in the backyard. He didn't even leave anything on top, which was the whole idea that spawned the hair growing experiment so long ago. Like Bob and his show, I can only feel happy for Erik who is finally free.

And, yes, a little bit sad.